1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, connection device, transmission device, and telephone terminal for connecting a computer network to a telephone, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for connecting a voice communications system used in a computer network to a telephone connected to a public telephone network, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a voice communications system is used between computers having the function of setting voice communications in a voice communications process using an Internet phone in the Internet.
FIG. 1 shows the first conventional technology.
Conventionally, as in the example shown in FIG. 1, voice communications are established from a computer 300 connected to a computer network 2 comprising an optical fiber, an Ethernet cable, etc. to another computer 300xe2x80x2 dial-up-IP-connected to a telephone network 4 through a modem 304 using voice communications processes 302 and 302xe2x80x2 such as an Internet phone, etc. Voice/data conversion units 301 and 301xe2x80x2 convert a voice signal received through a microphone into voice data and output the data, or receive digitized voice data, convert it into a voice signal, and output the signal to a speaker, etc.
However, in the dial-up-IP connection commonly used by individual users, a line between the user and the Internet is originally optimized for voice communications. Nevertheless, as shown in FIG. 1, modulated, demodulated, or coded non-voice data are transmitted through the line. Additionally, coded voice signals are transmitted through the same line. As a result, there arises the problem that this method is inferior in transmission efficiency and quality to the method of exclusively transmitting voice signals as in the common telephone systems.
When a wireless circuit of, for example, a portable telephone, etc. is used, frequency (line) resources are limited, thereby wasting line resources and deteriorating transmission quality. This holds true with a telephone network using a digital method as well as using an analog method.
To solve the above described problem, a conversion unit for converting voice data and voice signals is provided between a computer network and a user telephone line so that the voice data transmitted through the computer network can be converted into voice signals before arriving at the telephone line. It is assumed that the Net2Phone disclosed by the IDT (International Discount Telecommunication Co.) corresponds to this system.
FIG. 2 shows the second conventional technology. In the example shown in FIG. 2, a gateway unit 305 for converting a voice data packet into a voice signal for use in the telephone network 4 is provided in the computer network 2 (for example, the Internet) to transmit a signal to an existing telephone network 4. The gateway unit 305 comprises the voice communications process 302xe2x80x2 corresponding to the voice communications process 302 of the computer 300, the voice/data conversion unit 301xe2x80x2, and a network control unit (NCU) 306.
However, in this method, it is necessary to newly provide an exclusive voice communications process or improve an existing voice communications process to transmit a signal to a telephone line.
The voice communications process should be improved for each voice communications process. However, it is not economical to improve all voice communications processes now in the market.
The present invention aims at solving the problem that the transmission efficiency and quality are reduced when voice communications are sent through a communications network, and at allowing a telephone call to be issued from the computer network through a public telephone network, etc. using an existing voice communications process.
The system of transmitting a telephone call from a computer network according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a computer center having one or more first computers capable of setting voice communications and one or more second computers connected to the first computers through the computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to the computer center through a telephone network. The first computer includes a first voice communications unit for use between computers and a first voice/data conversion unit functionally connected to the first voice communications unit. The computer center includes one or more second voice/data conversion units, a network control unit connected to the second voice/data conversion unit, an agent process unit, and a telephone number storage unit functionally connected to the agent process unit. When the first voice communications unit is activated in the first computer, the data stream transmitted from the first voice communications unit is received by the agent process unit of the computer center. The agent process unit activates the second voice communications unit, transfers the data stream to the activated second voice communications unit, and sends it to the telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit by the network control unit, thereby establishing communications between the first computer and the telephone terminal.
The system of transmitting a telephone call from a computer network according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a computer center having one or more first computers capable of setting voice communications and one or more second computers connected to the first computers through the computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to the computer center through a telephone network. The first computer includes a first voice communications unit for use between computer networks, a first voice/data conversion unit functionally connected to the first voice communications unit, and a first agent process unit. The computer center includes one or more second voice communications units, a second voice/data conversion unit functionally connected to the second voice communications unit, a network control unit connected to the second voice/data conversion unit, a second agent process unit, and a telephone number storage unit functionally connected to the second agent process unit. When the first agent process unit is activated in the first computer, the first agent process unit communicates with the second agent process unit and activates the first voice communications unit in such a way that the first voice communications unit communicates with the second voice communications unit. The second agent process unit activates the second voice communications unit, and transmits a signal to a telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit through the network control unit to establish communications between the first computer and the telephone terminal.
The system of transmitting a telephone call from a computer network according to the third aspect of the present invention includes a computer center having one or more first computers capable of setting voice communications and one or more second computers connected to the first computers through the computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to the computer center through a telephone network. The first computer includes a first voice communications unit for use between computer networks, a first voice/data conversion unit functionally connected to the first voice communications unit, and a browser unit. The computer center includes one or more second voice communications units, a second voice/data conversion unit functionally connected to the second voice communications unit, a network control unit connected to the second voice/data conversion unit, a second agent process unit, a server unit, and a telephone number storage unit. When the server unit is accessed by the browser unit in the first computer and a specific instruction is issued, the first agent process unit is transmitted from the server unit to the browser unit. The first agent process unit is activated in the first computer, the server unit activates the second agent process unit in the computer center, and the first agent process unit activates the first voice communications unit in a way that the first voice communications unit can communicate with the second voice communications unit. The second agent process unit activates the second voice communications unit, and transmits a signal to the telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit, thereby establishing communications between the first computer and the telephone terminal.
The system of transmitting a telephone call from a computer network according to the fourth aspect of the present invention includes a computer center having one or more first computers capable of setting voice communications and one or more second computers connected to the first computers through the computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to the computer center through a telephone network. The first computer includes a first voice communications unit for use between computer networks, and a first voice/data conversion unit functionally connected to the first voice communications unit. The computer center includes one or more second voice communications units, a second voice/data conversion unit functionally connected to the second voice communications unit, a first network control unit connected to the second voice/data conversion unit, an agent process unit, a server unit, a telephone number storage unit, and a first data communications interface unit. The telephone terminal includes a second network control unit, a second data communications interface unit, a voice communications interface unit, and a second browser unit. When the second browser unit of the telephone terminal accesses the server unit through the data communications interface unit of the computer center and issues a specific instruction, the computer center activates the agent process unit. The activated agent process unit activates the second voice communications unit in a way that the second voice communications unit can communicate with the first voice communications unit in the first computer connected to the computer network, disconnects the communications with the telephone terminal, switches the connection of the first network control unit from the first data communications interface unit to the first voice/data conversion unit, and transmits a signal to the telephone terminal. The telephone terminal disconnects the communications with the computer center, switches the connection to the second network control unit 34 from the second data communications interface unit to the voice communications interface unit to enter a call waiting state and answer the call from the telephone network, thereby establishing communications between the first computer and the telephone terminal.
The system of transmitting a telephone call from a computer network according to the fifth aspect of the present invention includes a computer center having one or more first computers capable of setting voice communications and one or more second computers connected to the first computers through the computer network, and one or more telephone terminals connected to the computer center through a telephone network. The first computer includes a first voice/data conversion unit and a browser unit. The computer center includes one or more second voice communications units for use between computer networks, a second voice/data conversion unit functionally connected to the second voice communications unit, a network control unit connected to the second voice/data conversion unit, a server unit, and a telephone number storage unit. When the server unit is accessed by the browser unit in the first computer and a specific instruction is issued, the first voice communications unit is transmitted to the first computer by the server unit. The first voice communications unit is activated in the first computer in a way that the first voice communications unit can communicate with the second voice communications unit. The second voice communications unit is activated in the first computer in a way that the second voice communications unit can communicate with the first voice communications unit. The network control unit transmits a signal to the telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit, thereby establishing the communications between the first computer and the telephone terminal.
The connection unit between the computer network and the telephone according to the first aspect of the present invention is a connection unit which has one or more computers connected to the computer network and the telephone network and connects the computer network with the telephone terminal. The connection unit includes a voice communications unit for establishing voice communications between computer networks; a voice/data conversion unit, functionally connected to the voice communications unit, for converting voice data into a voice signal or vice versa; a telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone number; and an agent process unit for transferring to the voice communications unit a data stream transmitted from another computer connected to the computer network, and instructing the network control unit to transmit a signal to the telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit.
The connection unit between the computer network and the telephone according to the second aspect of the present invention is a connection unit which has one or more computers connected to the computer network and the telephone network and connects the computer network with the telephone terminal. The connection unit includes a voice communications unit for establishing voice communications between computer networks; a voice/data conversion unit, functionally connected to the voice communications unit, for converting voice data into a voice signal or vice versa; a telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone number; a network control unit for issuing, connecting, and disconnecting a call to a telephone network; an agent process unit for communicating with another agent process unit in another computer connected to the computer network, activating the voice communications unit upon receipt of a voice communications connection request, and instructing the network control unit to transmit a signal to the telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit.
The connection unit between the computer network and the telephone according to the third aspect of the present invention is a connection unit which has one or more computers connected to the computer network and the telephone network and connects the computer network with the telephone terminal. The connection unit includes a voice communications unit for establishing voice communications between computer networks; a voice/data conversion unit, functionally connected to the voice communications unit, for converting voice data into a voice signal or vice versa; a telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone number; a server unit for transmitting an agent process unit for operating in another computer, which has issued an instruction, when the server unit receives a specific instruction from browser unit in the other computer connected to the computer network; and an agent process unit for communicating with the agent process unit transmitted to the other computer, activating the voice communications unit upon receipt of a voice communications connection request, and instructing the network control unit to transmit a signal to the telephone number stored in the telephone number storage unit.
The connection unit between the computer network and the telephone according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is a connection unit which has one or more computers connected to the computer network and the telephone network and connects the computer network with the telephone terminal. The connection unit includes a network control unit for issuing, connecting, and disconnecting a call to a telephone network; a data communications interface unit for receiving data or a specific instruction transferred from a telephone terminal capable of establishing data communications through the network control unit; a voice communications unit for establishing voice communications between computer networks; a voice/data conversion unit, functionally connected to the voice communications unit, for converting a voice data into a voice signal or vice versa; a telephone number storage unit for storing a destination telephone number; an agent process unit for activating the voice communications unit in a way that it can communicate with another computer connected through a computer network, disconnecting the communications with the telephone terminal which has issued the specific instruction, switching the connection to the network control unit from the data communications interface unit to the voice/data conversion unit, and instructing the network control unit to transmit a signal to the telephone terminal; and a server unit for activating the agent process unit at the specific instruction from the data communications interface unit.
The transmission unit for issuing a call from the computer network to the telephone according to the first aspect of the present invention is a transmission unit, for transmission from the computer network to a telephone terminal, having one or more computers connected to a computer center through a computer network. The transmission unit includes a voice communications unit for establishing voice communications between computer networks; a voice/data conversion unit, functionally connected to the voice communications unit, for converting voice data into a voice signal or vice versa; and an agent process unit for communicating with a corresponding agent process unit in the computer center and activating the voice communications unit.
The transmission unit for issuing a call from the computer network to the telephone according to the second aspect of the present invention is a transmission unit, for transmission from the computer network to a telephone terminal, having one or more computers connected to a computer center through a computer network. The transmission unit includes a browser unit for communicating with a corresponding server unit of the computer center and issuing a specific instruction; a voice communications unit for establishing voice communications between computer networks activated by an agent process unit from the computer center at the specific instruction; and a voice/data conversion unit, functionally connected to the voice communications unit, for converting a voice data into a voice signal or vice versa.
The telephone terminal according to the present invention is a telephone terminal for communicating with a computer connected to a computer network through a computer center connected to a telephone network and the computer network. The telephone terminal includes a data communications interface unit; a voice communications interface unit; a browser unit for accessing a server unit in the computer center through the data communications interface unit and issuing a specific instruction; and a network control unit for disconnecting the communications with the computer center after issuing the specific instruction, switching the connection from the data communications interface unit to the voice communications interface unit to enter a call waiting state, and answering the call arriving from the telephone network
According to the present invention described above, the connections of the network control unit of the computer center to the network control unit of the telephone terminal are switched from respective data communications interface units to the voice/data conversion units or the voice communications interface units. Thus, a telephone call is connected from the computer to the telephone terminal, thereby establishing the voice communications.
After terminating the voice communications, the connections of the network control units in the computer center and the telephone terminal are switched back to respective data communications interfaces, thereby permitting the data communications through an issue or response from the computer center or the telephone terminal and continuing the data communications.